Monday, May 26, 2014

Working Hard to Find Contacts

Dear Family, Friends and Familiars,
Wow what a great week. This Sunday I felt super chill because we didn't have to speak or sing or give a class in church. We were super sad though because we had three baptismal dates this week and 3 “Si!!! I will come to church this week,” and then none were there. We are not sure what happened yet.
We have been having some interesting problems in our house right now one of which is that our boiler exploded and burned off the eyelashes of my companion.

She was...is pretty upset about that. This is an old photo from the camera of Sis.Suazo of us making pies in the house of a member Sis Camacho for less actives and one of our investigators. We are teaching more but right now we’re a little bit worried about having baptisms for June because we don’t have any for sure.

We have a baptism this week for Gabriel! He is super dedicated to his baptism. I know the Lord is helping him so much. He’s had some pretty awesome experiences with the spirit and his testimony is growing very quickly. I just hope he can make some really solid friendships in the church he knows a bunch but the ward NEEDS to take more interest.

I’m doing well feeling good. This week I have worked a lot harder on contacting people and talking with everyone in combis and taxis, etc. It’s working out very good. I feel super happy and lots of people have accepted to talk with us only three are from our area so we’re passing a lot of references. I feel super great in this area my companion and I have been getting along. We had intercombios with our sister trainers and they went great I learned a lot.

I love you all it’s great to hear from you all. I’m sorry I hardly ever write anyone but I just don’t have loads of time. I pray and think about you all. Yes that includes you reading this. I Love Jesus Christ and all he has done for me and working hard to help others make the difference in their lives, families and homes.

Daniel, our new convert, gave his first talk in sacrament meeting about his favorite prophet in the Book of Mormon. It was super good. I enjoy his sincere testimony. He looks you in the eye and tells what he believes and you can feel it in your soul. We invited his older brother Angel to listen to us and we have an appointment Wednesday whoo! Hna Lucila seemed pretty excited about it :)

We had a family home evening last night and went super well because we had 4 investigators come and I wanted to show a video about prophets or the Book of Mormon but my companion doesn't like to listen to me and she showed a video about defending your faith which brought everyone into the discussion of how it’s all the same God and we can be in whatever religion and have good values...which I knew would happen and that’s why I didn't want to watch that video but we still felt to spirit and I shared a scripture about the importance of families and we’re hoping little by little if they will just come to church they can see how much better it is.

Satan is everywhere now days you can’t every let him in even a little or he will destroy us, especially in the home. The home is sacred a place for peace and love we cannot permit any evil. I don’t want to sound like I’m trying to judge but I can just so plainly see how when we compromise with Satan and say oh this okay because it’s not totally bad that’s the real danger because then we begin to think like Him and our sense of moral sensitivity can become skewed...well that’s an interesting rant. I hope you all have a fabulous week.
Love,
Hermana Mleynek

Hno. Irving - Ward Mission Leader



Monday, May 19, 2014

We Are One

Wow what a great week except my companion was sick twice but at least I wasn't sick, except I kind of was. We had an amazing zone conference with the mission president and his wife from Argentina, the Walkers, who came and spoke with us. They are the bomb. Argentinians speak Spanish but every time there is a double ll in Spanish it sounds like sh. For example: Nuestra llamamiento in spanish in mexico ll is y, but in Argentina its sh. super cool and funny }:)

I hope everyone is doing super well. My companion and I had some super ambitious goals this week but it turned out we didn’t have any time because of visas, a capacitacion, conferencia para la consejo de barrio (a training conference for ward council), a surprise planning meeting for missionaries and our Baptism Whoo!! Happy Birthday Elder Legler we helped a sweet soul come unto Christ. So we didn’t come close to meeting our goals but I feel super good none the less.

We are working with Gabriel and trying to find new people. We have received loads of references and talking to loads more people but nothing yet. My prayers are a lot more specific and I am truly enjoying the work of the Lord. I urge all of you to help out the missionaries in your ward they are in wards for a reason. The missionary work is the responsibility of everyone. I gave a talk in sacrament meeting this week on Priesthood and also we gave a capacitacion de los miembros acerca de la obra missional (training of members on the missionary work). Somos Uno! Yaya! We are one and we can all work together.

Today me and my companion felt like cooking because were super poor and can’t buy food :) but I am trying to be healthier.

The baptism of Lucila was super special because her son Daniel got to baptize her. He has only been a member 1 month!! I love the mission as always every new area, companion and ward has its difficulties but I got to tell you contention is of the devil so don’t do it. I don’t care if you’re right or wrong. Well that’s random. Well I have loads more to say but it’s time to go. So see you all next time.

Monday, May 12, 2014

Commitments Are Super Important

Hello World! I’m sorry this letter is going to be a bit dry. I’m so exhausted but I am going to try to give you all a good report and some juicy details.

Well the week started off fantastic, 5 lessons on Sunday, we were on fire and feeling good. We got a reference to a house in our neighborhood and found of that no one lives there...Great! We had a lesson with two of our investigators that are super interested but not yet progressing as far going to church...so were trying to keep them excited about going to church because they have a testimony of the Book of Mormon. Which is super great. I am always amazing by the power of the Book of Mormon, we take it for granted. As a mission we are reading the Book of Mormon together. We visited a less active family and got to teach two of their cousins the first lesson.  We’ll see how that goes. I was really surprised how little the family actually knew about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, so were teaching that to practically everyone because it is muy importante.  We also are visiting this super intellectually know it all who’s is always flirting with us but his questions are super good and he is keep the commitments we’re giving him. Commitments are super important. There are a thousand and five easy reasons not to do something but if we teach the reason why and then COMMIT them to doing something their faith grows soo much. Daniel our new convert is super active in seminary and is even going on visits to other less active young men in our ward to help teach. And He wants to serve a mission. His older brother is being pretty consistent again in the church.

Speaking of consistency, this Thursday we had a zone conference and it was all about consistency and it was Great!! I feel so much more desire to endure and be more consistent in all the sometimes demanding work of being a missionary. We tried visiting some other possible progressing investigators but it didn't really amount to anything as of yet. We started visiting a new investigator his name is Raul. He is a bit troubled but in a good way....because he feels lost spiritually and he left his other church because they didn't help him progress as a person. He has begun praying and reading the Book of Mormon so we’re going to help him fill the void that he has in his life, that we all have at one point in our life.

We had a cool activity this week in the church for Mother’s day. A production of songs, dances and a drama performance about mothers that was super funny. It’s cool how you don’t actually have to understand what is said to have a good laugh. And we celebrated 3 birthdays of our investigators this week. I am getting along with companion more. Okay and one day we were looking for people to teach and absolutely no one was home. We went everywhere! So we start looking through our list of less active and we remember one that we told a sister we would look for. So we get to the house super far away and no one is home like everyone else. BUT we go the neighbors on both sides! AND! No one is home either BUT we go to the house two doors away and a man answers and he tells us to wait a second so he can put on a shirt. And we kind of shrug our shoulders Okay that’s fine! Then he introduces himself, “I’m Lemuel and I’m a member.”  Seriously?! He is inactive and has only lived here in the neighborhood for 1 month. He was nice but was kind of like, "Oh no. how did they find me." He’s an engineer and is never at home and he is the only member in his family. Caching! We were absolutely amazed at the power of the Lord. He has a way of doing His work and He obviously has a message for this brother. ;)

This Sunday Gabriel couldn't come to church because of work!!  So now we have to move his baptism to the 30th of May. I think it’s okay though because like we have seen before the Lord has a plan far more perfect than we could ever come up with. We brought a member of the priesthood and his wife to visit Gabriel. He was super excited about his baptism and at the end of the lesson he asked for more homework in the Book of Mormon. We gave him a pamphlet for the plan of salvation and scripture marking pencil to begin the Book of Mormon from the beginning. We gave a lesson of the Holy Ghost and he expressed some personal experiences that caused him a bit alarm...Satan working against him. So the brother with us, Bro. Ruben, gave Him a blessing and it was so powerful. The room was absolutely glowing with fuzzy feeling and Gabriel was super emotional and grateful and in the blessing it was said that Gabriel was chosen in the life before this one to learn and accept the gospel and that he could have the blessing to know the church was true. This Saturday we have the baptism of Lucila the mom of Daniel. She is doing super well and she has such a great testimony of the church she really gets it, she’s a very genuine person. She also gave me and my companion shirts she bought for us.





Monday, May 5, 2014

Lessons Learned

I am feeling pretty swell about our area. We have two baptisms coming up and we are working hard to change the world. I feel so much happiness to see people understand the message we bring. I know that we are not here to convince anyone we are simple here to invite others to come unto Christ and change their lives for the better and forever. When I have this in my mind I find it much easier to share what I know and the feel confident. Maybe not everyone understands but there are choice children of God prepared to receive this message. I've had challenges and I have had success in the mission, my testimony grows every day. I know there is no other way to become more like our savior without suffering so I do what I do with a smile on my face and in my heart. I have been thinking  a lot about some of the lessons learned as a child and I realize how much they have helped me to grow as a person and also help others progress in life. I’d like to share two:

1. I’d be happy to Mom
2. Shelby No one can make you do anything

The first lesson has helped me very much in the mission because to be a disciple and representative of Christ we don’t just need to be obedient we need to have true motivation. When I do something for you out of obligation it doesn’t profit me but when I do something because I love the person I can find true happiness. Jesus Christ suffered, taught, gave freely all that he had: his time, his heart, his blood. Our Heavenly Father asks us to be obedient and we need to be so because we love Him. I love Him.

2. Many make the mistake of waiting all their lives to be happy. I know that happiness is a choice. I know that if I choose to be happy right now and always, I will always be happy. But if in my mind and heart I am always waiting for something...happiness will never come. There will always be trials. In the mission I am learning to give all of my heart, might, mind and strength. I am a missionary I know it. I live it. I love it.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there. The world would perish without your moral courage and authority. I am grateful to many noble and great women in my life.